Confused

I would do everything you can to improve your chances. 

I always here people regretting not having a bi-latral. I am one of those. Now after a 2nd diagnoses at such a young age (29 now) I chose to have both taken off - no recon. The pain wasnt as bad as i thought they feed u so many pain killers. The drains are annoying but once there gone i would always feel better. 

I think you should do what u feel is right. I would worry more about your emotional state than your pain state as the emotional stuff can stick around longer. I had a bi-latral for my emotional well being, not coz of the fear of re-occurance. hope this makes sense. 

Sorry you have to go thru this. 

Merylee

Hi Monica, Only you can answer that question. I was diagnosed with DCIS in October 2012, I had to have a single mastectomy I chose a bi lateral mastectomy. I didn't need chemo or rad so I was able to reconstruct straight away. Tissue expanders were put in i call these my fake fake boobs and then in April the real fake ones will go in. Pain wise, for me the first 48hrs were the worst but don't be shy to ask for the strong stuff to get through it. I took a morphine tablet every morning and night for the first 5 days and panadol in between. This helped me to rest properly which in turn helped me to heal. I don't regret one minute my decision to take both boobs off as it has given me (for the most part) peace of mind. Both my mum and sister were diagnosed 12 months before me and it was because of them I went for a mammogram, which thankfully picked it up early, when I had the surgery they also found a 17mm invasive tumor that the scan didn't show, so this made me greatful that I had decided to do both. Recovery post op was easier than I thought, I'm a beauty therapist so my job is quite physical but I was back 6 weeks later. I am now 9 weeks post op and feel great. I wish you the best for the surgery, it will go well and you will be fine. Xx

Hi Monica, Firstly sorry to hear about your diagnosis, but you've definitely come to the right place for advice and support. I'm 37 and was diagnosed last October with Invasive ductal carcinoma in my left breast. I chose to have a bi lateral mastectomy and expanders in at the same time. As i didn't want to have to go through this again. I've always been quite body conscious, so the thought of waking up with no chest at all was upsetting. I won't lie, the recovery was painful. You've got to give your body time to heal and rest. Having 3 kids that was probably the hardest thing. It took me probably 4 weeks to start feeling good. Make sure you do your exercises for your arms that they give you in hospital it really makes a difference. I saw my doctor every couple of weeks and he inflated my expanders with saline. At the moment I'm more than happy with the way everything looks, but I can't wait until I get my new boobs after i finish chemo ( 3 cycles down 3 to go). Good luck. X

Hi Monica,

Welcome to the group that no-one wants to be a member of!  You will find some great support and advice from the lovely ladies on here.

I have had breast cancer twice - once at age 35 and the other at age 42.  I wish that I had had a bilateral mastectomy the first time as I wouldn't have had to go through it all again!  Good on you for making your decision.  Everyone is different though and we have different pain thresholds etc.  If you don't need to have radiation, you can probably get a reconstruction done at the same time as the mastectomy.  This lessens the shock as you don't wake up with no boobs!!  That said though, it depends on how you feel about your boobs anyway.  I just wanted the cancer OUT of my body once I knew that it was there.  If that meant losing my boobs, then cut them off with pleasure!  I know that sounds a little drastic but that was my attitude at the time and I stick by that now.  I don't want to risk my life for the sake of saving my boobs.

The mastectomy operation was not painful for me.  I took panadol after I woke up for a few days but that was all.  I was quite pleasantly surprised at this as I expected to be in a lot of pain.  I lost a lot of sensation in my chest area so I guess that helped!

Do you need to have chemo?  If you don't, your recovery time should be fairly swift.

Good luck with everything and if you have any questions, feel free to post them on here (or just have a vent if you need to!).  We are all here for you,

Louise x

I had a mastectomy. It was painful enough to cope with. I couldn't imagine having both done. I wish a lumpectomy was an option for me. At the time my lump was too big. Cancer makes us all panic but maybe if we slowed down enough we can make better long term decisions. That's my experience. I am a bit down now because I have just started radiation and wished I had not agreed to it so readily. It was recommended but I was a borderline case. At the time of my surgery my son was one year old and loved to be carried. So when times got desperate I would pick him up on my other side. I was thankful I could do this. It just takes longer to get over a bilateral mastectomy. All the best with your treatment. i have a blog myjourneyupdate.wordpress.com